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Tuesday, December 16, 2003
Tales of horor
There are harmful traditional types of violence committed against women. They have been practiced for ages that they have become a part of culture.
Trafficking of women and girls, sexual and domestic violence, and crimes against women in war and armed conflict are some of the familiar tales of horror done to women.
The following are less heard of, but they are a reality in this enlightened age of technology.
Female genital mutilation (FGM). Often part of fertility or coming-of-age rituals, FGM is sometimes justified as a way to ensure chastity and genital “purity.” It occurs primarily in over 25 African countries, among some minorities in Asia and immigrant communities in Europe, Australia, Canada and the US.
Dowry murder. A women is killed by her husband or in-laws because her family is unable to meet dowry demands. This practice is found in South Asia. In India, for example, there are some 15,000 dowry deaths per year. The circumstance could be a kitchen fire designed to look like an accident.
Honor killings. In many societies, rape victims, women suspected of premarital sex, and women accused of adultery have been murdered by their male relatives because the violation of a woman’s chastity is viewed as an affront to the family’s honor. (From the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women)
(December 16, 2003 issue)
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